


I Could Die Inside You

by Eve_Iyapo



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Character Death, Consensual Underage Sex, Drama, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Grooming, M/M, Physical Abuse, Psychological Torture, Rape/Non-con Elements, Statutory Rape, Suspense, Underage Sex, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2018-09-08
Packaged: 2019-01-18 23:40:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12398634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eve_Iyapo/pseuds/Eve_Iyapo
Summary: Dean Ambrose is a 15 year old foster kid who, despite his best efforts, can't seem to stay out of trouble. Roman Reigns is a wealthy and powerful man who works hard to keep his proclivities private. After being forced into community service for his misdeeds, Dean finds out that he's become Reigns newest obsession. And what Roman Reigns wants... he gets. At any cost.





	1. The Bad Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Read This Before Continuing:  
> I shouldn't haven't to explain what 'fiction' is on a site dedicated to fanfiction but after the several horrified reviews I got about Ready to Blow (and a recently deleted comment about this fic); I'm going to do it anyway. This is a FICTIONAL story about a sexual relationship between a teen and an adult. I, the author, am well aware of the ramifications of such a pairing in life and do not condone it. But again, this is fiction, as in Not Real. It is MY creative right as an author to write what and how I please, just as it is YOUR right to read or keep on scrolling.  
> Any reviews with the sole purpose to bash or flame me will be deleted. Constructive reviews however, are ALWAYS welcome.
> 
>  
> 
> So... I've been sitting on this fic for close to two years now. I was drained and pretty much tapped out after working so hard on finishing the Ready To Blow trilogy and that, coupled with no legit Shield action, I just didn't see the point in trying to tackle a new fic, no matter how excited I was about it.  
> However, the boys are back :) So I've decided to go ahead and give this a shot. But whether or not I remain motivated is completely dependent on reader participation. I don't just write for myself, I do it for you all too. So read, kudos and review. Let me know you're interested and I'll do my best to update on a regular basis.
> 
> FYI: Theme song for the entire fic is 'Alive' by Krizz Kaliko

_"It's that time of the month again. A new city, a new home. More motherfuckers to pretend they care until I fuck up and they get tired of me…"_

"That's gotta be rough, huh?"

The deep, yet cheerful voice coming from the driver's seat startled Dean out of his depressing internal monologue. From his spot in the backseat he glanced up, meeting his new social worker's eyes in the rearview mirror. He raised an eyebrow in question.

"What's that Mr. O'Neil?"

"Oh! I was just saying, this is your fourth foster home in as many months. I know it's tough moving like this again." The man meant well, but Titus O'Neil only had about 5 months on the job and was about as subtle as a jackhammer. "I mean damn, you're only what… 15? And because the system is so chock full of kids like you they had to send you here because not enough foster homes were available in your home town. It sucks, I know. You just have to believe that this is what's best for you."

Dean rolled his eyes but didn't respond. It was just as well because Titus didn't take the teen's silence as the hint it was, so he just kept talking.

And talking.

And talking.

And talking…

Forty-five minutes later Dean was gearing up to scream at the man when the car finally stopped.

"We're here!" boomed Titus with a smile. He popped the trunk and stepped out of the car.

Dean stared down at the floor mat, reluctant to look up and see where he was being placed for the umpteenth time. He was just tired. So tired of this shit. He wanted to go home, to be back with his mom. When she was clean and sober she was the best. Loving, strict, caring and supportive. But when she was high? She became neglectful, as well as physically and emotionally abusive. Child Protective Services stepped in when he regularly showed up for school filthy, in dirty clothes, practically starving while slowly withdrawing from all the activities he used to find pleasure in; a consistent scenario for almost a year. The school counselor and his home room teacher had made the call. He'd been 11 years old then. After his mom's second stint in rehab failed the judge decided to put him in foster care. He'd been in the system ever since.

A knock on the window near his head made Dean jump. Scowling he turned to glare at the offender but his eyes widened in surprise. Smiling at him was a tall heavyset man with a head full of wavy white hair to his shoulders and a white bushy beard. He looked like a hippie's idea of Santa Claus, ignoring the fact that he was dressed in a dingy yet loud t-shirt and baggy grey sweats.

"Hi there! My name's Mick Foley! You can call me Mick." He opened the door and gestured for Dean to get out of the car. "Why don't you come on out of there? We can go on and let you get settled."

Heaving a laborious sigh, Dean unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the backseat. He saw that Mr. O'Neil had already taken his suitcase out of the trunk and set it on the driveway. The bald man was grinning at him, his expression happy and pleased.

How could someone always be so relentlessly upbeat?

Titus walked up to Dean and put a large hand on his shoulder. In his other hand he held out a business card. "Here you go, Dean. This card has my office number and on the back my personal cell. Call me if you have any questions or concerns. Okay?"

Dean merely shrugged the man's hand off his shoulder before stuffing the card into the pocket of his jeans. He kept his head bowed, still unwilling to look up at his new, likely temporary, home. Titus gave Mick a meaningful glance over top of the car before getting in, starting it up and backing out of the driveway. Foley glanced down at the sullen teen, knowing that he and his wife were going to have their work cut out for them.

"Come on, son," he said, his tone as warm and welcoming as he could make it. "Let's go inside."

Sighing deeply, Dean grabbed the handle on his rolling luggage and finally allowed himself to look up. Instantly he was homesick. Foley's home looked a lot like the house he'd lived in with his mother before her drug habit forced them onto the streets and then into lower-class government housing. It was a traditional two-story brick home with an attached garage and a well-manicured front lawn.

Dean bit his lip before forcing himself to trudge behind his new foster parent.

This was going to be hard.

"Mom! How could you do this to me?!" shrieked Noelle Foley, stomping her foot for emphasis.

Collette frowned at her daughter while trying to shush her. "Honey, now isn't the time…" She glanced back towards the foyer, knowing that any second their new foster child would be walking in.

"I don't care!" shouted the teen. "We finally got rid of your other charity case and less than a week later you find another one to live with us?! Another boy even?! What the hell, Mom!"

"Stop it, right now, Noelle!" Collette was beyond frustrated now. "This young man has no one, do you hear me? No one! If we didn't take him he would have been sent to a group home! We can be the family he needs until his mother gets herself together and gets clean…"

"Oh great," scoffed Noelle while rolling her eyes for emphasis. "You've brought another weirdo with mommy issues into our house." The teen put her hands on her hips and sighed. "Did she touch him too? Am I gonna have to lock my door at night like with Corey? God, he was such a mental patient..."

The sound of a throat clearing got both mom and daughter's attention as Mick walked into the sitting room with Dean at his side. With the disapproving look on Mick's face as well as how the tips of Dean's ears were red as he worked hard to find something interesting about the beige carpet, it was obvious Noelle's comments were heard by them both.

Mick soldiered on ahead with the introductions though still inwardly cringing at his daughter's lack of manners. "Girls, this is Dean Ambrose. He's going to be staying with us for a while. Dean this is my wife Collette and my inexcusably rude daughter Noelle."

Noelle scoffed once more and stomped out of the room and up the stairs.

Collette felt terribly and wanted nothing more than to gather the young man in a hug but his body language and lack of eye contact was telling, so she instead knelt in front of him so that she could see his eyes. "Welcome to our home, Dean. I apologize for what you must've heard. Our daughter is… umm, protective of her only child status. Please give her a chance and I'll ask her to do the same."

Dean merely shrugged and looked away. The older woman's gaze was earnest but he didn't trust it. He couldn't.

"Come on, let me show you to your room." Mick gestured in front of him before leading the way.

Dean's new bedroom was up the stairs and two doors down the hallway, directly across from Noelle's room it seemed, because he could hear her through the closed door, presumably talking on the phone.

It was modestly furnished and it seemed that the Foley's took great care in removing evidence of their last foster child so that Dean could feel more at home. He almost appreciated the effort. Almost. But he just knew these people were going to turn out like all the rest.

The married couple left him alone to get settled after explaining that dinner would be ready in little over an hour.

Dean sat down on the full sized bed, secretly pleased that it was comfortable despite how he felt the exact opposite in this strange house with weirdly nice adults and their snobby daughter.

Without a second thought Dean jumped up and walked out into the hallway. He stared at Noelle's door for a moment before reaching out for the knob.

Noelle was so engrossed in a conversation with her bestie that it took a minute before she felt eyes on her. To turn around and see the new kid in her doorway startled her and she dropped the phone in surprise.

"What the fuck?! Get out of my room!"

Dean stood there for a few seconds more, swaying as if trying to decide to stay or go. Instead he took two steps further in and cocked his head to the side.

"You know what?" he said, suddenly reaching up to vigorously scratch the side of his head. "You're right about me, Noelle. I _am_ weirdo. I'm… I'm just a sick fucking guy." He reached behind him and tapped the doorknob while giving the older girl unflinching eye contact.

"You _should_ lock your door tonight."

Noelle swallowed; though she worked hard to look more annoyed than unnerved. "Get out, you freak!"

Dean smirked at her before walking out into the hallway and shutting her door behind him. Instantly though he was overcome with shame and regret and his shoulders slumped.

"I shouldn't have done that," he whispered to himself in the empty hallway. "Why the fuck did I do that?"

Later that night Dean Ambrose found himself laying in bed with the tv on but not really watching it. He was thinking.

Dinner had been awkward. Despite how mean Noelle had been earlier, Dean found that he felt bad for scaring her. He didn't know if Mick or Collette knew what he said to Noelle or not but the couple seemed determined to try to make their mealtime seem as normal as possible.

But when Collette told Dean that he would be going to school in the morning, the teen felt his anxiety ratchet up to a near unbearable level. Being the new kid sucked. Being the new kid who was also a foster kid sucked even more. At other schools he picked a fight the very first day to let the bullies know he wasn't to be fucked with. But after that disastrous shit he said to Noelle, he just wanted to get through the day without giving the Foleys' another reason to put his ass out.

Tomorrow, he was going to try his damndest to be good.

 

 


	2. The Bad Boy pt. 2

 

Chapter 2

“Okay kids, have a good day!  Dean, I’ll pick you up after school, right here.  Okay?”

Ambrose mumbled an agreement and climbed out of the backset just as Noelle hopped out of the passenger’s seat.  Collette gave a little wave, hopeful when Noelle waved back and Dean spared her a glance.  Early that morning Mick and herself had a little talk with their daughter, letting her know in no uncertain terms that until she could be civil towards their new house guest that she was grounded and her car privileges revoked until further notice.  Also, she was to help Dean at school, including taking him to the office to pick up his schedule and showing him around a bit before first period.

Dean sighed as he hefted his new bookbag on his shoulder and took a look around the campus.  This school seemed rather fancy compared to his previous ones.  The building was clean and appeared new.  There was no graffiti to be found and as he followed Noelle through the doors he was shocked that they weren’t greeted by metal detectors and security guards.

 _“This place… It’s different…”_ he thought.  A brand new kind of anxiety began to coil itself in his gut.  Abruptly, Noelle stopped in front of him and pointed to a door on their left.

“There’s the office, freak.  Later.”  The last was said with a dismal wave as the older girl flounced further down the hall, her long blonde hair swinging against her back.

Dean watched her for a second, feeling some weird combination of irritation and depression.  He knew what he said yesterday had to still be bothering Noelle and he didn’t know what to do about it.  Did he apologize?  Would she even believe him if he did? 

In the 60 seconds or so that Dean hovered in front of the door to the office he realized that the previously loud and crowded hallway was now suddenly quiet.  A quick look around and Ambrose saw that he was quite literally the center of attention.  The kids were pretending not to stare, pretending to go into their backpacks and lockers but… he knew they were focused on him.

Squaring his shoulders, Dean swaggered his way into the office.  Looking around indecisively would have quickly gotten him labeled ‘weak’ at his old schools.  No, he couldn’t let himself be seen as weak.  His earlier promise to himself about being good was quickly forgotten.  His reputation, real or imagined was just too important.

He had to let these motherfuckers know just who Dean Ambrose was.

**D**

It turned out that everyone already knew who he was from the moment he stepped inside the principal’s office.  The woman behind the desk had a stern look on her face and her arms were crossed over her chest.  She frowned as she looked the teen up and down, clearly taking note of his shabby appearance and obvious attitude.  Dean shifted a bit on his feet, knowing exactly what that look on her face meant.

She thought he was trash and was just waiting for him to screw up.

Principal La Guerta gestured towards one of the chairs in front of her desk.  “Have a seat, Mr. Ambrose.  I see the Foleys have no boundaries when it comes to their hospitality.”

Dean had to fight to keep from scowling.  If the principal was already showing hostility towards him…  It was only a matter of time.

“You’re the third foster child they’ve had this year.  Did you know that?  And I’m willing to bet my meager salary that you’re a troublemaker just the like the others.  Is that true, Mr. Ambrose?  Are you a troublemaker?”

Dean did scowl then.  He was used to this kind of treatment but that didn’t mean that he appreciated it.  “Define ‘troublemaker’,” he said before he could stop himself.

Principal La Guerta steepled her fingers, looking smug.  “I’ll be keeping a very close eye on you, Mr. Ambrose.  You can bet on it.”  The stern woman pushed a button on her phone to ring the receptionist.  “Betty?  Could you tell Renee to come in here please.”

Dean continued to glare at the principal until the door to her office opened.  The girl that stepped in though, suddenly captured his attention.  She looked to be about his age, with short blonde hair and a crooked smile.  She was holding a planner in one arm and had a bookbag slung over her right shoulder.  Her smile brightened as she looked at Dean.

“Mr. Ambrose, Ms. Young is going to give you a tour of the school and help you find your classes.  Dismissed.”

Renee walked to the door and Dean got up to follow her, eager to leave the confines of Mrs. La Guerta’s office.

Once in the hallway, Renee wasted no time.  “So… you’re Noelle’s new foster brother, huh?”

Dean stiffened at her side, then shrugged.  “I guess so.”

“Wow…” said Renee with a grin.  “She’s such a bitch.  I feel bad you have to stay in the same house as her.”

Dean gave a small smile but didn’t disagree.

Renee opened the planner and glanced at it.  “Hmm… looks like we have two classes together; Biology and English.  Great!  You can sit next to me, I’ve been wanting a new partner.  Especially since we’re going to be dissecting frogs soon.  Ick!”

“Lucky for you I’m pretty good with knives.”  The second he said it, Dean could’ve smacked himself.  Why did he always have to say such creepy shit; and in front girls no less?

To his surprise, Renee only laughed.  “Come on.  Let me show you around.”

**D**

Despite all his misgivings about the school and needing to prove to everyone that he wasn’t weak, the rest of the school day went rather smoothly.  While the stigma of being a new Foley foster kid kept most of the teens silent around him, a few others went out of their way to speak to him.  And Renee did indeed sit with him in the two classes they shared.  She was happy to point out the kids she hung out with and which were parts of certain cliques.

At lunch time (the most dreaded time to be a transfer student), Dean was relieved to once again see Renee Young.  She spotted him coming out of the lunch line and waved him over to the table she was seated at with several other students.

“Hey, everyone!  This is Dean Ambrose!”  Renee grabbed him by the arm and shoved him into the seat next to her.  “He’s a new Foley kid but he’s cool so everyone be nice to him.”

A few giggles and muffled laughs rose up from the students at the table. 

“Good to meet you, man,” said a boy dressed in a black t-shirt and faded black skinny jeans.  “My name’s Seth Rollins.”  He reached across the table to shake Dean’s hand.  “And this,” he added pointing to others around the table, “is Baron, Dolph, Joe and Kevin.”

A loud feminine, “Ahem!” sounded from across the table and Seth laughed.  “Oh and that’s Alexa and Alicia.”

After the introductions the teens quickly resumed eating, Dean noting with dismay that lunch was only 20 minutes.  As they got up to dump their trays and head to the next class, Seth patted Dean on the shoulder to get his attention.

“Hey man, want to hang out after school?  We can show you all the spots.”

Baron scratched at his head beneath the beanie he wore.  “Don’t be a loser, bro.  Just say, ‘yes’.”

Ambrose hesitated.  He did tell Collette he would see her after school but he was surprisingly happy to be included.  These guys seemed cool and at least this way he could avoid Noelle for a little while.

“Alright, I’m game.”

**D**

Dean felt some relief when the final bell sounded at the end of the day.  Seth happened to be in his last period class and the two had chatted and been obnoxious together much to the chagrin of their teacher.  Despite the distraction the two caused, Mrs. Johnson, chose to ignore them rather than send Seth and the new Foley foster kid to the office.

After dropping his books off at his new locker, Dean followed Seth to the student parking lot where they met with the rest of the guys from lunch.  Baron Corbin was leaning against an older model SUV with a dent in the passenger’s side door and dings on the bumper.  Joe was shoving a duffel bag into the backseat while Dolph and Kevin were taking turns slugging each other in the arm.

“Hey!  You assholes weren’t going to leave without us, were you?” called Seth as they made their approach.

“I was thinking about it,” said Baron with a grin.

“Can we just get the fuck out of here already?” asked Dolph who then followed that up with a yelp as Kevin took advantage of the distraction and punched the hell out of his shoulder.  “Ouch!  Okay man, I quit!”

Kevin laughed then yelled out “Shotgun!” before sitting in the passenger’s seat.

The rest of the teens piled into the vehicle with Baron behind the wheel while everyone else got into the back.  Before they could even get situated, Baron put pedal to the metal, tires squealing as he pulled dangerous u-turn speeding out of the parking lot.

Dolph popped a piece of gum in his mouth then cleared his throat.  “So, Ambrose, get any pussy yet?”

Dean coughed in surprise.  “No, man.  I just got here!”

“So what?” added Kevin with a lecherous grin.  “You’ve got that whole mysterious vibe going on.  You could bang any chick you wanted at school.”

“He’s right,” co-signed Baron.  He screeched to a stop at a red light then turned in his seat to give Dean some eye contact.  “I bet you could even land one of the Bella twins.”

Dolph snorted in derision.  “Doubt it.”

“Well I happen to already know that Renee wants his dick,” announced Seth with a pleased grin.  He elbowed Dean in the ribs then gave an obnoxious laugh.

“Like that’s a surprise,” said Baron with an amused chuckle, while speeding through the green light.

“When you hit that, be sure to tell us all about it.”  Kevin turned to wiggle his eyebrows at the blonde teen.  “I hear she likes it up the ass.  You ever fuck a girl in the ass, Ambrose?”

“Alright that’s enough!” boomed Joe.  “Leave the kid alone.”

It got quiet in the SUV as nobody wanted to give Joe another reason to raise his voice.  Dean was grateful for the older teens interjection on his behalf.  Because of his sordid history, Dean was intensely private and the conversation took a turn that he absolutely wasn’t comfortable with.  And he certainly didn’t want it to come out that he was still a virgin.

It was none of their fucking business anyway.

Baron turned up the radio and pulled into gas station then announced that he’d be right back.  A few minutes later he hopped back in the vehicle with a pack of cigarettes and a six pack of cheap beer.

“You guys feel like going to the park?”

**D**

They wound up dropping Joe off at his uncle’s house and Dolph at his parents before Baron drove to the local park.  It was getting dark so there were no younger children around.  Baron and Kevin were tossing back beers like water while Dean smoked a cigarette.  He felt calmer than he had all day as the nicotine rich smoke filled his lungs.  He watched Seth playing along the monkey bars, talking about the new Madden game coming out and how he couldn’t wait to beat everyone at it.

“I’m bored,” interrupted Kevin while tossing another an empty can on the ground.  “Baron, you still got those spray cans in the trunk?”

“Yup,” replied Corbin, also tossing an empty can.

“Good.  I know where there’s an empty wall just begging for my special artwork.”

Seth chuckled but Dean merely took another drag of his cigarette.  He was up for anything.

The teens went back to the SUV and Kevin pulled a backpack out of the backseat before gesturing to the other boys to follow him.  They dipped in and out of alleyways, avoiding the sidewalks and streets when Kevin finally led them to a brand new building next to an empty field that was fenced off.

“This is where they decided to put that new rehab center.  Look!” he said pointing to the floor to ceiling windows.  “They haven’t even finished the inside yet.  Let’s give them something to look at in the morning.”  The husky teen reached into his bag and handed each of the boys a can.

Dean felt a thrill of excitement shoot down his spine as he took the can from Kevin.  He glanced at Seth and his new friend winked at him before going to work.  The four teens began painting all manner of crude, nasty images and words all over the blank white wall.  Baron was literally whistling while he worked, while Kevin downed another beer in between spraying.

Dean had just finished drawing something rather sinister looking when they heard the whoop-whoop of a police siren.  Startled Dean dropped the can just as Baron screamed out, “Run!”

Baron, Seth and Kevin took off for the field, jumping the fence to escape.  Unfortunately for Dean he was closer to the edge of the building where the police car had stopped and he was tackled by a cop before he made it very far.  As he lay on the dirty ground while his hands were cuffed behind him, he could only think of one thing.

_“Shit!  Foley’s gonna send me away for this.  I just know it.  God… I’m such a fuck up…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-Oh! How are the Foleys going to react to Dean getting arrested?


	3. Crime & Punishment

Mick Foley drummed his fingers anxiously on the steering wheel of the family mini van on his way to the police station. He didn't know what to think about their new ward being arrested a mere 24 hours after he was placed under their care! Collette was much too upset to go, not to mention a massive migraine had her down for the count so Mick was on his own. He hoped that whatever Dean had gotten arrested for wasn't serious and that he wouldn't be forced into a state home.

Sighing, Mick breezed through stoplights until he made it to the local precinct. When he got inside and walked up to the front desk he had to clear his throat to get the receptionist's attention.

"Excuse me? I'm here to pick up Dean Ambrose. I'm his legal guardian."

Right away the receptionist knew who he meant and she couldn't help but grin. "Ahhh, the tagger! Come on back; I'll buzz you in."

Mick raised an eyebrow but almost sighed in relief.  _"That's it? Graffiti?"_  Glad that things weren't worse as he'd feared, Foley allowed himself to be led to the back office where he could see Dean seated through a two-way mirror. One of the arresting officers, a rookie barely out of the academy, left the office and came out to speak with Foley.

"Mr. Foley, I'm Officer Dukes. My partner and I caught this young man defacing the new rehab building this evening. We're going to have to send him to juvie until he goes in front of the judge tomorrow morning."

Mick's eyes widened. "Is that really necessary? There has to be something else we can do!" The older man rubbed at his beard anxiously, clearly distressed at the news.

"Well actually, there is something that can be done."

Both men turned towards the hallway and watched as a woman crossed the threshold, wearing a very expensive pantsuit and her long chestnut brown hair pulled back in a high ponytail. When she reached the men she stuck her hand out and shook Mick's hand.

"Officer. Mr. Foley. I'm Stephanie McMahon. My husband Judge Helmsley and I have started a youth program that while keeping kids out of the penal system, it also allows them to work off their debt to society by doing specialized community service. A punishment fits the crime sort of thing, if you will. It just so happens that the building Mr. Ambrose defaced was due to have a mural painted on it starting this weekend. So, if you'll agree, he can work off his debt using his… ummm…  _skills_  for a good cause."

The officer raised an eyebrow and shook his head. It was clear he didn't think much of the proposed offer.

Mick however didn't need to think about it. This was something that could keep Dean out of jail and help build some character as well. He nodded then said out loud, "Deal."

**DA**

Dean sat behind the rickety table picking at a hangnail, sulking. In his mind he was already packing. He'd already proven Noelle right by being a freak and fuck up.

He looked up when the door to the office opened and Mick Foley walked in. He sighed, his face going stony as he waited to hear that Titus O'Neil would be taking him back to the group home. For a moment the two just stared at each other and the tension became practically unbearable. Finally Mick rubbed at his beard before saying,

"Come on, Dean. Let's go home."

The ride back was done in silence for the most part. Dean sat in the passenger seat, stunned that he still had a foster home, that he was still part of a family. But he couldn't relax just yet. It was clear that Mick was still angry about his arrest and the fact that he still hadn't said much had Dean worried. When they arrived at the house, he followed in behind Foley silently, his head down and shoulders slumped.

As they stepped into the living room, Collette, whom had been lying down on the couch with an ice mask over her eyes, popped up despite the pain her migraine was causing her. She squinted at Mick and Dean for a second before rushing over to gather the teen in a crushing hug.

Dean stiffened in shock and didn't return the hug but that didn't matter. Collette released him quickly then got down on her knees in front of him so she could see his eyes.

"Please, Dean," she whispered. "You just need to give us a chance okay? We want to be there for you so you can't just disappear like that. Okay?! Just…" She sighed as she watched the warring emotions on the teen's face. "Please don't scare us like that again."

Dean felt shittier than he ever thought possible. His throat felt swollen and thick with tears but he managed to croak out, "I won't. I'm sorry."

Collette gave him a watery smile and got to her feet. She looked at Mick. "So what happens now?"

Mick explained about the program Dean was invited to do to avoid going to the juvenile detention center and how it was simultaneously a way to repair the damage he did while also taking care of his community service requirement. Collette nodded and seemed relieved. After Mick finished talking they both turned to look at Dean whom hadn't yet looked up from his shoes.

"So young man, clearly you're grounded until further notice. That means  _I_  will be picking you up from school from now on and this weekend you start your community service. Is that clear?"

"Yeah," mumbled Dean, still working hard on counting the scuff marks on his shoes.

"Okay, glad we understand each other. You can go on upstairs and get started on your homework now."

Dean hefted his bookbag onto his shoulder and made his way up to his new room. Once inside he shut the door behind him before setting the bag on his desk. He sat down on the bed and for a few moments tried to process what just happened. The Foleys weren't going to throw him away after all! Having to do community service as punishment for his crime was an annoyance but it was very minor as far as punishments went. No beatings, no cigarettes being put out on his skin and no yelling about how worthless he was.

"I just have to paint over that damn wall!" Dean started to laugh. Mick and Collette almost seemed too good to be true. Shaking his head Dean reclined on the bed with his hands behind his head. He still didn't think he could trust them. Not yet. But this was a good start.

**D**

The next day at lunch, Dean was immediately bombarded with questions by the boys at the table while the girls, especially Renee, looked on with equal parts shock and awe. No doubt finding his arrest intriguing.

"Why the fuck didn't you run?!" exclaimed Seth. He was the only one of the group that actually appeared distressed when Dean explained what happened at the police station. Baron, Kevin and Dolph on the other hand were fairly amused at the whole story. Joe didn't appear to be paying attention at all, his focus on a table across the lunchroom at the moment.

"I tried man!" cried Dean with a shake of his head. "Fucking pig tackled me before I could get far. But it's whatever. Not the first time I've been handcuffed."

Renee sidled a little closer to him and put a hand on his arm. "Were you scared?"

The question amused him and he gave her a feral smile. "Nah."

"So tell us about the community service," said Baron with a mouth full of pizza.

"It's no big deal. I just gotta help paint a mural over the shit we did." Truthfully, Dean was actually kind of excited about the chance to do real art. It had been his favorite subject in school before his mom's downward spiral and his entrance into the foster care system.

Despite Dean's nonchalance, Seth cringed. He pushed a bag of chips across the table at Ambrose. "Thanks, man," he said. "You know, for not telling on us. My Dad would have killed me."

Dean only shrugged but still took the peace offered chips. "Don't worry about it, alright? I'm no snitch."

Baron heard that and nodded enthusiastically. "I knew it!" He turned towards Kevin and jostled his arm. "I told you he wouldn't say shit."

Kevin just gave a mocking thumbs up before shoving more chicken nuggets into his mouth.

It didn't take long for everyone at the table to start concentrating on their meals with lunch time already half over. Renee, seated at Dean's right, discreetly slid her left hand underneath the table and rested it on his knee. Dean's eyes widened in surprise and he turned to look at her. The blonde girl had a coy smile on her face and she slid her hand up higher to his thigh, squeezing it.

"So… what time do you have to be at the rehab center on Saturday?"

Dean tried and failed to keep from flushing. "I have to be there from 10 to 6." He could feel the heat from her palm through his jeans and hoped like hell she wouldn't brush against his growing boner.

Renee nodded, squeezed his thigh once more and removed it. "Okay, well maybe I'll stop by and I dunno… bring you lunch or something."

Dean gave her a slow grin that showed his dimples and Renee felt her heart skip a beat. She watched Ambrose look down into his tray then pick up a chicken nugget. Before he popped it into his mouth he said, "If you want."

Renee could feel Seth's eyes on her and knew what he was thinking but didn't care.  _"Oh I want,"_  she thought.

**D**

The rest of the school week came and went and Dean Ambrose finally felt as if he was settling in. The Foleys (minus Noelle of course) were still being kind to him and treated him as if he were one of their own and not a virtual stranger. Collette would help Dean with his Geometry homework at night and Mick had him down in the basement bathroom helping him to repair the sink. Dean found himself smiling more than scowling and despite the looming date of his community service, he wasn't really anxious or upset at all about it.

Until the night before. As he lay in bed Friday evening, watching one of the more popular cartoons on Adult Swim he found his mind was suddenly filled with what he thought were possible scenarios tomorrow. And none of them were good. He was so worried in fact that he sat up suddenly, biting his non existent nails. As the night wore on he found that his anxiety worsened and he couldn't stop conjuring up nightmare scenarios. Dean couldn't relax, he couldn't sleep. Something terrible was bound to happen tomorrow.


	4. Introductions

The next morning Dean found that he was too anxious to eat breakfast. Collette seemed concerned but didn't mention his lack of an appetite. Instead she took a lunch bag out of the refrigerator and handed it to him.

Dean gave her a small smile and took the offered bag right as Mick walked into the room.

"Come on, son. We don't want you to be late. That won't look good to the judge."

"Okay," he said. "I'm ready." And the two left the house. From an upstairs window, Noelle watched them go, feeling oddly jealous when she saw her dad pat the freak on his shoulder. Annoyed at herself for feeling anything for Ambrose, she turned away from the window and went back to her laptop.

Mick and Dean arrived at the rehab center some 20 minutes later. There was already a couple of work trucks and vans parked near the building with quite a few workmen and crews milling about. One of the vans stood out with loud paint on the side that said 'Just a Couple'a Painters' in big bold lettering. Coming out of the back of the van were two men, one of whom seemed to be a giant dwarfing the other that was clearly his partner. They seemed to be struggling to carry buckets of paints and rollers.

Mick pointed to the two men although they already had Dean's attention.

"I think that's them, son. Let's go say 'Hi'."

Dean followed behind the husky bearded man and they reached the men at the defaced wall.

"I told you we shoulda brought the wagon!" fussed the smaller man. His hair was wild, shaved on the sides while the top was dyed blonde and sticking up all over his head.

"Whatever. It's too late now. Besides there's no room in the van! You wanna go back and fetch that damn wagon, be my guest." The giant seemed annoyed and he started pouring and mixing the paint at their feet.

"Hello!" called out Foley cheerfully. "I'm Mick and this Dean. He's supposed to help you guys with the mural."

The two men looked up. The smaller man had a mischievous look on his face while the giant merely seemed amused. The giant stuck out his hand first.

"Ahhh, you're the magnificent artist who did all this? My name's Cass. Everyone calls me Big Cass though I couldn't tell you why."

The tips of Dean's ears went red but he shook the offered hand.

"I'm Enzo," started the smaller man, practically shoving Big Cass out of the way to shake Ambrose's hand. "I'm the founder and manager as well as the talent of 'A Coupla Painters'. Dean shook his hand and introduced himself.

"I'm Dean Ambrose," he said. Despite himself he was smiling. He was already feeling comfortable around Enzo and Cass and he felt that earlier anxiety begin to melt away.

Mick could tell that Dean was starting to relax and he grinned. "Alright, I'll leave you three to it! Dean, I'll be back to pick you up this evening." With that, Foley lumbered back to the car.

Enzo looked the teen up and down even though they pretty much stood eye to eye. "So how come you're the only one here?"

"What do you mean?" asked Dean while taking a roller from Big Cass.

"He means that there's like four different styles on this wall so there should be three more kids here," interjected Big Cass as he went back to mixing the paint.

Dean shrugged. "I'm the one that got caught. And I'm no snitch."

Enzo and Cass glanced at each other before looking back at Dean.

"I know that's fucking right," said Enzo after a moment. "Snitches get fucking stitches. But this is petty shit. Light vandalism, kid."

"Yeah," agreed Cass with a nod. "This won't even be on your record."

They watched Dean's expression. It was clear he didn't think of any of that.

"It's whatever though," said Enzo. He pointed to a not so crude devil on the wall. "That one's yours, isn't it?"

Eyebrows raised in complete surprise, Dean nodded.

Cass and Enzo both chuckled.

"I like you already, kid," Enzo said with a grin. "You do a good job and we just might hire you for the summer."

**D**

Ambrose and the two painters worked tirelessly throughout the morning. They were painting over the graffiti with white paint but because of the quality of Kevin's spray paint, they had to go over the offensive artwork multiple times. Enzo and Cass were industrious workers but funny and they kept Dean on his toes and busy. Dean found that he was actually enjoying himself. The two painters kept him laughing and when they weren't joking around they were hard at work.

The sun was shining brightly overhead and at some point the three painters had shed their shirts. The heat was a surprise in early fall but Cass seemed pretty happy about it. He mentioned that tanning the natural way instead of in a bed was his preferred method and he planned to soak up all the sun he could. Enzo teased him about letting his girlfriend influence his behavior so and repeatedly called Big Cass, 'whipped'. Dean laughed loudly at their antics, truly enjoying himself.

At lunch time the three painters retreated to an alcove on the side of the building, munching on a pizza that Enzo ordered from a local joint not far from them. When Dean remarked how good the pizza was the smaller man had given him a sly look.

"I know the owner." Was all he had said and winked.

Cass finished off his pizza and lit up a cigarette. He took a long drag and noticed that Dean was watching him. He handed his pack to the teen and nodded. Cass saw how Enzo was gearing up to protest the underage smoking but Cass shut him down.

"Just let him be. Dean's done good work today. Let the kid relax a bit before we get back to it."

Ten minutes later the three went back to wall.

And about an hour later a news van showed up behind a couple of limos, town cars and cabs. The news crew set up quickly and began filming as people began filing out of their vehicles. Dean put down his roller and picked up a water bottle, taking a swig while watching the ensuing circus.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked.

Enzo and stood next to him and pointed. "Looks like they're trying to interview the owners and investors of the rehab facility. It's supposed to be opening in a few weeks."

Big Cass leaned down and not so quietly said to Dean, "It's good thing we got your artwork covered up before they got here." He and Enzo laughed at the teen rolling his eyes.

Dean was starting to lose interest in the media blitz happening a few yards away but someone stood out. There was a man in a suit still standing near the limo. Dean couldn't figure out his ethnicity which was weird but couldn't help but notice how all the women seemed to flock to him. The man towered over most of them although clearly not as tall as Big Cass. His sunglasses were dark but the smile he flashed to the news crew and the women that surrounded him was megawatt.

"Who's that?" asked Dean.

Cass and Enzo were discussing something and weren't sure who the teen was talking about.

"Him," said Dean pointing now. "The suave motherfucker with the manbun."

Enzo laughed, now aware of who Ambrose was talking about. "That's Roman Reigns. Like us, he's an entrepreneur. Started his own high end restaurant. And apparently, he's some kind of philanthropist. He sponsors shit and invests in different projects around the city. Was even voted as Man of The Year last year because of all his contributions."

"And the ladies love him," added Big Cass almost sourly.

"Don't be jealous Cass," said Enzo with laughter in his voice. The smaller man elbowed Dean and chuckled. "He's just mad because his girl let it slip that Reigns is a 'fine fucking man'."

Dean and Enzo shared another laugh before the three of them got back to work.

A little while later Cass had gone inside the building to use the bathroom while Enzo was taking a 'private' phone call inside the van. Dean stayed underneath the alcove where they'd had lunch and he lit up another of Big Cass' cigarettes. He was grateful that the two men seemed to be hella cool and easy to get along with. Briefly he wondered where Renee was and why she hadn't stopped by like she said she would but as he exhaled the smoke from his nostrils, decided that he didn't care.

**R**

Roman Reigns was a pretender. And he was good at it. He was charming with model good looks; all while being rather aloof. It made women flock to him of course and he had to pretend that he enjoyed their attentions. He had money, more than he could ever spend in this lifetime, and that brought even more people to him. He had to pretend to care about their causes and their charities and the orphans in Africa they begged him to sponsor. So, he picked and chose which sad thing to throw money at and that made the people love him even more.

Roman knew he couldn't be himself in front of these people; that their love of him was superficial at best. That was fine. They didn't need to be in his goddamned business anyhow. He was a private man; a selfish man.

And yet, as he came out the side door of the rehab center that he'd poured half a million dollars into, he found his gaze drawn to the young man smoking underneath the alcove.

His hair was a dark dirty blonde, drooping shaggily into his eyes as he took another puff. He was shirtless and Roman found his gaze lingering on the lean muscles tanned with the high sun of the day and the rise and fall of his nearly hairless chest as he inhaled and exhaled.

The boy hadn't noticed him yet and Roman took quiet steps towards him, subconsciously straightening his suit as he went. He could tell the teen heard him when the young man whirled around with the cigarette hanging between his parted lips.

Roman looked him up and down and decided that he liked what he saw. The teen's eyes were a luminous blue but something about them appeared sad and vulnerable. And that vulnerability called to him.

Dean nearly had a heart attack when the man suddenly appeared behind him. And when the man didn't say anything he shifted to his default emotion. Anger.

"The fuck do you want, Man-bun?!"

Roman's eyebrows went up in surprise and a smirk curled his lips. "How old are you?"

Dean frowned, unsure why the man was even asking. "Fifteen. Not that it's your fucking business."

Roman's smirk disappeared. Quicker than quick he plucked the cigarette from between Dean's lips ignoring the teen's cry of protest.

"Legal age to smoke is 18," he said, his voice a deep rumble in his chest.

Now Dean was pissed. He scowled up at the man, seeing his own face mirrored back to him in the man's dark sunglasses. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Give me that back!"

Roman cocked his head to the side, trying hard to hide his amusement. The boy certainly had fire to him.

He liked that.

Roman brought the still lit cigarette to his lips and took a long draw from it. When he exhaled, the smoke formed perfectly round O's that drifted down towards the teen's face.

Dean was so impressed by this display that his anger left him as quickly as it had appeared. He coughed a little then crossed his arms over his bare chest; a considering look on his face.

Roman took another puff before dropping the cigarette on the ground and crushing it under his shoe.

"You shouldn't smoke anyway. It's bad for you." Roman's glance went skyward, knowing that his next question would be the start of something dangerous. "What's your name?"

Dean leaned back a bit on his heels. "Dean. Dean Ambrose. But that still-"

"Isn't any of my fucking business," interrupted Roman, finishing the teen's sentence for him. "Yeah I got it."

Dean gave a wry grin at that, more amused than annoyed. "Yeah, you got it." He looked toward the street and saw a few people gathered around the limo that Roman had stepped out of. "Man-bun, they're looking for you over there."

At that Roman didn't even bother to hide his distaste. Sighing he took a step closer to Dean. And another. And another before brushing past him. He gave a dismissive wave and walked away.

Dean started to turn back to the empty alcove and look for another cigarette when he heard;

"The name's Roman, Dean. Not Man-bun."

Dean laughed out loud and shouted at the older man's retreating back. "I know who the fuck you are, man!"

**R**

After Roman schmoozed with the people and flirted a bit with the news reporter, he climbed back into the limo and had the driver idle at the curb for a few minutes. He watched as the teen he'd been drawn to was joined by two other men. He watched them laugh and gesture towards each other and wondered if they were talking about him. Roman saw them go back to the wall and pick up brushes and rollers, still laughing and chatting as they did so. That the teen seemed to be so comfortable with them bothered Roman; more than it should have really, since they'd just met.

Shaking his head, Roman called out to the driver, "Let's go!" And they took off.

Sighing, Roman licked his lips, still able to the taste the nicotine. When the stolen cigarette had been between his own lips it had been damp with the teen's saliva and salty with his sweat. The mix had been intoxicating; addictive. Dean Ambrose intrigued him in ways nobody else could; the surly teen's angry disposition, beautiful blue eyes and muscular nearly hairless body with its trim waist (no, Roman couldn't forget about  _that_ ) leaving puberty and coming into adulthood but still a few years away from maturity.

All he had was a name.

Dean.

Dean Ambrose.

It wasn't much to go on but Roman had his resources. He  _would_  be seeing that young man again.

"Hmm…" Reigns chuckled to himself, decidedly happy for the first time in months. "It was very nice to meet you… Dean Ambrose."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We meet a 'coupla' new characters along with Roman Reigns. His intentions toward Dean seem less than innocent. How will he track down Dean and what will he do once he does?


	5. Intimidation & Pep

Later that night Dean realized with surprise that he was exhausted. He even would have skipped dinner just to go to bed but Collette was already disappointed that he didn't eat the lunch she fixed for him (despite him telling her that his new bosses had bought pizza). Begrudgingly and yawning after every bite, he went ahead and ate dinner with Mick and Collette. It was good though and better still he didn't have to eat with Noelle since she was out with her friends.

After stuffing the last bit of chicken into his mouth, Dean mumbled a 'thanks' and trudged his way upstairs. When Collette and Mick eventually went upstairs to get ready for bed they were amused to see that their ward had fallen asleep face down on the bed with one leg hanging off, still fully dressed and his door wide open.

Collette turned to Mick a little worried. "Maybe they worked him too hard?"

Foley just smiled and shook his head. "No. This is good. Trust me, honey."

The following day was pretty relaxed and Dean spent most of the it indoors. He slept off and on throughout the day and the Foleys were fine with letting Dean do his own thing. He spent a good bit of his time awake playing with the Xbox 360 that Mick had brought up from the basement. The games were pretty old and it wasn't connected to the network so that he could play online but he still enjoyed himself.

He did eventually run into Noelle as she left her bedroom and he left his. It was late afternoon and the hallway was dark. They stared at each other for a moment and when he opened his mouth to say something, to greet her maybe or to maybe apologize for being an asshole, the look she gave him made him close it again. There was a glitter in her eyes and it was hostile.

"You know what, freak?" she said suddenly. "I wouldn't get too comfortable here if I were you. You're just a charity case, nothing more. And when you fuck up again, my darling parents down there are going to send you back to the hell you came from."

Dean almost took a step back in surprise. But he held his ground and stared straight into the girl's lovely face. Briefly he thought about punching her, knocking her to the ground but the one thing his mother had instilled in him from a young age was to  _never_  hit girls. Still, his hand were fisted at his sides and he glared at Noelle.

"What is your fucking problem?! Do you always have to be a such a  _bitch_?!" hissed Dean through clenched teeth.

Surprising him once more, Noelle only laughed. It was a high cheerful sound but paired with the sneer on her face it was unnerving. " _You're_  my problem, freak. But you won't be for long. You'll fuck up again and even if you don't, I'll just tell my parents you did. It won't be the first time."

Noelle looked him up and down but Dean's threatening stance didn't worry her. Despite the shit he'd said to her that first night about locking her door, she realized rather quickly that he was just a stupid mouthy kid who did stupid fucking shit like spraying graffiti and hanging out with losers. She turned her back to him and took a couple of steps before looking back at him over her shoulder.

"You're fucking trash. You don't belong here." With that last parting jab, she walked away and flounced down the stairs out of sight.

Dean didn't know how long he stood motionless in the hallway. Her words had their intended effect and buzzed in his ears like angry flies. He'd heard shit like that before but it never stopped hurting. Even now his chest was tight and his throat was thick with unshed tears. Finally able to move, he turned around and went back into his room, slamming the door behind him.

The next morning Mick noticed that something appeared to be up with Dean. Now the teen was usually pretty quiet but he thought that they'd finally developed some sort of rapport over the last week. But on the drive to school Dean seemed… closed off. Mick didn't know what caused this change and was a little worried. And when they arrived at the high school, his worry increased. All the kids were wearing school t-shirts and some were even carrying posters and signs into the building.

He glanced over at his daughter in the passenger seat as the vehicle rolled to a smooth stop.

"Noelle, honey why didn't you remind us that it was Spirit week?"

The teen shrugged her shoulders innocently. "I forgot Dad. It's no big deal."

Sighing, Mick pulled out his wallet and handed Dean a twenty dollar bill.

"Here, use this to buy a school shirt from the bookstore. Okay, son?"

Dean gingerly took the money and stuffed it down his jean pocket. He nodded but didn't say anything. After a moment's hesitation he opened the door and climbed out of the car. Noelle opened her door as well before leaning over to give Mick a peck on the cheek then getting out.

Mick watched the two entering the school and noticed the wide berth that Dean was giving his daughter though he was trying to be subtle about it. Sighing, Mick put the car into Drive and pulled off from the curb. He was going to see if they could work things out on their own but if not, he and Collette would definitely have to step in.

Dean was in a mood and even though he was new to the school, the vibe he was giving off seemed to warn the kids and teachers off. This was fine with him. He knew everyone was worried he might flip out or do some other weird shit that the Foleys former foster kids had done to make everybody leery but he just couldn't be bothered to care. He was used to being ignored, sometimes abused but this situation with Noelle was eating away at him.

_"_ _It's because you actually like the Foleys," he thought. "You like Mick and you like Collette."_

He couldn't deny that truth. Dean was beginning to see that they were genuine and the thought of being sent away terrified him! He'd gotten lucky with this family and though they could never replace his own dear mother (whom he seriously hoped was finally getting clean), he  _liked_  them.

The rest of the day went by in a slow blur. It was just as well because the entire school; staff, faculty and students alike were all teeming with excitement. There was very little work getting done and Dean soon found out why.

In Biology, Renee plopped down in the seat beside him and elbowed him when he failed to notice.

"Hey! Earth to Dean! Hello Dean!" The crooked smile on her face wilted at the edges with the annoyed sideways glance that Dean gave her. "What's wrong? Wait are you mad at me for not coming to bring you lunch on Saturday?" She shifted nervously in her seat.

Dean didn't respond but his eyebrows raised a bit. He'd honestly forgotten about that. He started to say so, actually  _wanting_  to set her mind at ease but she rushed on ahead.

"I'm so sorry, Dean! My parents decided to take my brothers and I to the lake early that morning. If it wasn't for that I swear I would have come to see you!" She noticed his features softening a bit and she grinned. "Forgive me?!"

Dean smirked at her. The pleading tone in her voice making him feel... something… "Yeah… I guess I can forgive you this time."

Renee beamed then. "Good! I don't think I could stand you being mad at me." She squinted at him with her head cocked to the side. "You know… you should tell the Foleys you need a cellphone. Noelle's got one."

Dean shrugged. It might be cool to have one but he certainly didn't know how to go about asking for one. Not wanting to delve into that further he changed the subject. He pointed to some boys in the back of the classroom putting on face paint and laughing.

"What the hell is going on today?"

Renee leaned into him, her smile hitting megawatt status. "We're having a pep rally today! Normally we have them on Friday though so something must be up! That's why everyone's so excited."

Dean looked down at the table with a frown. Why was this school so… extra? This was all too new and weird to him. His old schools were just not like this. Sighing, he chose to focus on Renee talking away at him. He liked Renee and enjoyed spending time with her. She seemed to sense this and whenever the teacher's back was turned she would lean into him to whisper something in his ear. Her breath tickled and her breasts pressing against his arm had him hard in a matter of seconds. Dean found himself wondering what it would be like to feel her breath against his lips, instead of his ear; to feel her breasts against his chest and his arms around her waist.

He wanted to kiss her.

The thought was almost strange to have. But it was welcome. The image was formed so completely in his mind that before he even realized what he was doing, he gripped the hand of hers that rested on his arm and squeezed it.

Renee inhaled sharply and looked up into Dean's face in astonishment. She had  _definitely_ been flirting with him but didn't think he would respond at all. In truth, she thought he was still mad at her for not visiting him over the weekend so she had been trying to 'apologize' the whole class period.

 _"_ _Maybe he does like me," she thought._  Renee stared down at the hand covering hers, taking note of the bitten down fingernails attached to long fingers and how thoroughly his large hand seemed to engulf hers. She smiled at him gamely and watched as he grinned back at her. Then suddenly the bell rang and the two broke apart quickly as if worried they'd been caught doing something bad. Dean watched Renee gather her things and hurry out of the classroom, throwing him an almost shy smile as she went. She had made him forget that he was a lonely, pathetic piece of trash as Noelle had so succinctly put it yesterday. For just a little while, he'd felt like a regular teenage boy and it was nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life happened (laptop died and was resurrected) but I've finally got a new chapter up! Kudos and reviews are what fuel my motivation so let me know what you think ;)  
> Is Noelle serious about getting Dean kicked out of her home? Are Renee and Dean going to move forward in their relationship? And why does the pep rally have everyone so excited?


	6. You're Exactly What I Don't Need… But I'm in Need

 

Since the pep rally was scheduled for the end of the day, Dean wound up going with Seth to the gym during the last period. Seth had asked about the community service and was both impressed and happy for Dean that teen had such cool bosses to work for.

"Damn, dude. I almost wish I'd gotten caught too!" exclaimed Seth with a sideways grin.

Dean elbowed him and smiled in return. "Shut the hell up. Like you wouldn't rather be playing Call of Duty with Baron and Joe online." Then abruptly Dean changed the subject, pointing out the colorful decorations scattered throughout the school hallways. A lot of the signs said things like, 'Lions Rule All!" or 'Lions Eat Bears' and 'Bears Run, Lions Fight!'

"So, what is all this pep rally shit?" asked Dean while they followed the other students through the doors.

"It's like, a way to celebrate our football team going up against our rivals, Jefferson High. Been that way for something like 50 years." Seth shrugged. "It's kinda cool, I guess. At least we don't have to do a bunch of school work during the week."

Dean said nothing. He was scanning the bleachers for Renee but hadn't spotted her. Disappointed, he simply followed Seth to the top section near where Baron, Dolph and some other students Dean wasn't familiar with, had gathered. They talked amongst themselves until the gym was filled and the principal was standing in the center of the floor.

Principal La Guerta looked around at all the students, waiting for them to quiet down.

"Good afternoon students of Lincoln County High!" She waited for the hoots and hollering to calm down before continuing. "May I present to you, your soon to be championship football team, the Lincoln County High Lions!"

The entire football team jogged out from the locker room to a standing ovation with lots cheers from their fellow students and from the faculty. Dean was actually intrigued by this display and watched the festivities unfold with undisguised interest. The coach came out to speak to everyone and the kids cheered. Then the cheerleaders came out and did a quick routine that was applauded, followed by the dance team whom did their own little routine. For some reason they got more cheers than the cheerleaders did.

Towards the end, Principal La Guerta got back up to speak and this time she shifted on her feet a bit, as if she were truly excited.

"Last but not least, we have a special guest speaker today. He's a former Lions football player himself and was voted Man of the Year recently by our city of commerce. It is my pleasure to present to you… Mr. Roman Reigns!"

Eyebrows raised, Dean watched as the man he'd met only two days ago strode out onto the floor. Instead of a fancy suit, he was dressed in an Eagles polo shirt and dark blue jeans. And instead of wearing his hair up in a man-bun (as Dean has so inexplicably called him by) the man's long black hair was loose and flowing down his back and shoulders.

Roman gave the principal a brief hug side hug before stepping back to face the students. Dean heard a girl nearby yell out, "Lucky bitch!" before ducking back down before she could be spotted.

"Who are we!?" yelled out Roman to the screaming crowd.

"Lions!"

Roman smiled and it was a wild baring of teeth. "Who runs this?!" he called.

"We run this!" yelled back the students.

"Who runs this?!" he yelled once more.

"We run this!"

"Damn right you do!" The students screamed and whooped even louder then. Concerned he might have crossed a line, Roman turned to give the principal an apologetic grin for his use of profanity. The older woman didn't appear to mind, she only tittered in response.

Encouraged, Roman leaned far back and gave a deep growl into the mic that made all the girls (and a few female faculty members) scream and the boys shouted out in kind. The gym was full of electricity and even Dean found himself excited. At least until Noelle Foley switched her way onto the floor, flanked by two other female students.

Noelle smiled brightly at Roman. He grinned back at her then handed her the mic.

The teen brought the mic to her lips and loudly stated, "Good afternoon, Lions! As your student body president I just would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Reigns for coming to speak to us today…"

Dean had heard enough. He got to his feet fast, ignoring the questions fired at him by Seth and Baron and began making his way down the steps. As he reached the floor a male teacher by the name of Mr. Hanson, stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going? The pep rally's not over yet."

"To the bathroom," replied Dean tightly. "I've had to pee since 4th period."

Mr. Hanson hesitated for a second before nodding his consent and let Dean go on his way.

Like a beacon (or more like an emergency flair), Roman had immediately noticed Dean Ambrose the moment he stood up and he had witnessed the exchange he had with the teacher before stepping out the double doors. Instantly he was filled with this irresistible urge to follow the young man. But he waited; he waited for the girl to finish her little spiel and for the principal to finish hers. He could tell that both found him attractive but it was of no consequence. Most women found him attractive. Men too if he wanted to be honest. But that didn't matter. The second La Guerta dismissed the students he swiftly made his way to the double doors that Dean had exited. Passing through them he entered the familiar hall, adjacent to the male locker room and had a thought on where the surly teen mostly likely had gone. Roman felt a compulsion to find the teen and moved quickly.

He'd thought of little else over the past few days, Dean Ambrose occupying his mind nearly all the time. But when a professional reliable source of his came through, letting him know that Dean was a foster kid and a new student at his former alma mater… Well, Roman had become ecstatic. He had called Principal La Guerta right away and stated that he would love to speak at the pep rally but that it had to be on Monday instead of the usual Friday.

He simply couldn't wait any longer.

As Reigns pushed open the door to the nearly hidden boy's restroom, it occurred to him that he was acting a bit like a teenager himself. He smiled a little and walked inside. The smile disappeared as soon as he saw the state Dean (and the bathroom) was in.

The bathroom was in shambles. Both garbage cans and their contents were scattered on the floor, one of the stall doors had been kicked off the hinges and a towel dispenser lay discarded in the corner, likely ripped from the wall. Just based on that, to say that Dean Ambrose was distressed would've been an understatement. The teen was pacing the length of the bathroom with quick, jerky movements. His head was down and he was muttering to himself. Every few steps his right hand would come up and he'd slap himself  _hard_. Roman stood, frozen in place, watching Dean with a kind of horrified fascination.

The loud  _clang_  of Dean nearly tripping over a garbage can that he'd previously kicked seemed to startle them both and Dean finally looked up to see Roman standing in the doorway. His hand hung in the air near his face as he'd been ready to slap himself again and his eyes widened. Slowly he brought his hand down to his side and the surprise on his face melted into a scowl.

Roman almost laughed seeing that the face Dean now wore was identical to the one he'd made when they first met.

"The fuck are you doing here,  _Man-bun_." Dean said this with as much vehemence he could muster, much too angry to be embarrassed.

Roman folded his arms across his chest, his face neutral. "I saw you leave the gym so I came to check on you."

The scowl on Dean's face lessened but now he appeared guarded. "You don't know me, man. Why do you care?"

Roman unfolded his arms and stared at Dean in silence for a moment. He knew that what he said next would determine whether or not the teen would ever open up to him.

"On Saturday when we met, I could tell you were a cool kid. But I know why you were there and why you were working with those painters. I know what it's like to think that you're all alone and that you can't trust anyone because I used to be just like you."

Dean raised an eyebrow before giving a quick ugly bark of a laugh. "Yeah, right! You and I both know you were popular as fuck, probably captain of the football team and shit."

Roman snorted but his face didn't change expression. "Haven't you ever been surrounded by people but still felt alone and empty inside? Wanting a connection with not just anyone… but someone you could trust? Nobody ever really knew how I felt throughout my entire high school career. Not my parents and not my cousins who happen to be my best friends."

Reigns took a few steps towards Dean but stopped a couple of feet away. "I'm years out of high school, Dean and I  _still_  feel like that sometimes." He took another step closer and could see the torment fresh in the boy's eyes. "I've learned to manage it though. And I could help you, if you want it."

The two stared at each in silence for several long moments. Eventually, Dean's shoulders dropped and he sighed. Before he could say anything, the bell sounded, indicating that school was over for the day. Dean glanced at the clock on the wall and cursed under his breath.

"I uh… I need to go. My ride's here." But then Dean shifted and frowned. "Shit. I think I have pee." The teen glanced at Roman before moving in front of one of the urinals to their left. With his feet far apart, he unzipped his pants and was about to pull out his dick when he realized that Roman was still watching him.

"Do you fucking  _mind_?" asked Dean impatiently.

"You don't have anything I haven't seen before," replied Roman quietly, nearly deadpanned to hide his eagerness, but he slowly turned his back anyway. Reigns closed his eyes and listened. Dean let out a low moan of relief as he urinated and Roman went rigid, biting down on his bottom lip.

That moan.

That  _fucking_  moan.

Immediately Roman's forehead broke out into a sweat.

It was a sound he hoped to force out of Dean in the near future (and under more appropriate circumstances). It was a sound that he knew would keep him awake tonight as he pumped into his fist, and for every night thereafter until he finally had Dean. Roman shuddered and willed his dick to stay soft but could feel himself getting hard just the same.

He began to imagine himself fucking Dean against the wall of the filthy bathroom. He pictured those luscious pink lips of the boy parted, either to moan or to scream; maybe both. To have those long legs wrapped around him… To feel Dean's hardness against his taut belly… Roman could just imagine how tight the teen would be… And how utterly sweet it would be to be gripped by his (almost certainly) virginal asshole…

A shiver of lust rippled through Roman's body and dimly he realized that he was palming his crotch, his dick growing and pulsing against the pressure of his hand. The urge to turn around and make his fantasy into a reality was so strong that he nearly pivoted on his heel right then and there.

Almost.

Almost.

But then… some semblance of logic pierced the hazy veil of want in Roman's brain. The older man knew that if he turned around now that that would be it. He would fuck Dean;  _he would have to_. And the surly teen with the sad but lovely blue eyes wasn't ready for him yet. He'd likely fight it, fight him but Roman would take him anyway, ready or not. Then he'd have a serious problem on his hands with numerous more waiting for him outside the bathroom door.

Hearing the sink cut on so suddenly gave Roman something else to focus on and his dick finally began to soften. He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly hoping to relax even further and yet still started when he felt a hard tapping on his shoulder. Roman opened his eyes and looked down at Ambrose. Dean was smirking up at him and Reigns felt his heart skip a beat.

He hoped he wasn't blushing.

"You didn't have to zone out completely man. I just didn't want you watching me piss." The first was said in faint bewilderment but the last was almost shy. Dean looked at the floor but met Roman's extremely direct gaze once more. "And I have to go but…" He gestured around at the mess he'd made helplessly.

Roman shook his head and prayed his voice was steady before speaking. "Don't worry about it. Come on."

The two left the bathroom but Roman knocked on a door adjacent to it in the hallway. It turned out to be the janitor's office and there was a woman inside. Dean had seen her around the school and had briefly wondered why a woman would even take a job as a janitor.

Roman pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed a few bills to the woman. "If you could take care of the restroom there and not mention it or this one," he said pointing to the confused boy at his side. "to La Guerta, I'd really appreciate it."

The woman smiled and nodded. "Sure, no problem. Besides, he isn't the first to throw a tantrum in there and I'm sure he won't be the last."

Roman chuckled, ignoring the strange look that Dean was giving them both. He guessed that the teen didn't realize that he was heard during his destructive rampage and he laughed a little more as he steered Ambrose away from the door and back down hall.

Mick waited in the lot for Dean to show up, getting more and more frustrated by the minute. He knew about the pep rally but that didn't give the boy an excuse to be late. Frowning, Mick glanced at his watch, considering going into the school and looking for Ambrose when he looked up and was surprised to see Dean coming with Mr. Man of the Year himself, Roman Reigns!

The man was greeting students and faculty along the way and Dean walked beside him, paying more attention to the ground than to what was happening around him. When they finally made it to the car, Roman reached out to shake Mick's hand.

"Mr. Foley! It's good to see you again. You and your wife did an excellent job at that fundraiser last month."

Mick grinned, amazed that he would even remember him. "Well, Mr. Reigns, we like to support any program that does good things for the community." Mick took his hand back and placed it on Dean's shoulder. "I see you've met our newest family member."

Roman smiled at them both. "Yeah, he's a good kid. We talked about the mural he's helping to paint for the rehab center. He's got some interesting ideas."

Dean raised an eyebrow at that. The man just lied so smoothly to his guardian but he supposed it was for the best that Mick didn't know the  _real_  reason they'd been talking.

"Hey, Dad! Mr. Reigns!"

The three of them looked up to see Noelle coming their way. Roman glanced at Dean and saw that the teen had automatically flinched when she called as if he'd been slapped. Dean grew tense and uncomfortable and even shrugged Mick's hand off his shoulder as Noelle approached. Roman was beginning to see what was going on and wondered if she had anything to do with Dean leaving the pep rally in such a hurry.

_"_ _We are definitely going to talk about this later," he thought._

Noelle stopped by the side of the car and flipped her long blond hair over one shoulder. "What's going on?"

Mick gave his daughter a grin. "Nothing! Dean and I were getting ready to head on home that's all." He reached out and shook Roman's hand again. "And we're just saying goodbye to Mr. Reigns."

Roman nodded in agreement. "I hope to see you all again soon." He hoped that Dean would meet his eyes but the young man still appeared to be studying the ground. "Dean? Why don't you put my number in your phone so we can discuss your mural ideas and how you can relay them to your bosses?"

Noelle and Mick both reacted to that request with surprise but Dean merely shrugged. "I don't have a cell phone," he muttered, still not looking up.

Mick felt a twinge of embarrassment and he wondered why he hadn't thought to get Dean a phone yet. He tried to place a hand on the teen's shoulder once more but dropped it when he saw how tense the boy still was. "Well, I guess that's something you need, isn't it? We'll stop and get you a phone on the way home."

Roman saw that Dean actually glanced his way and Reigns winked at him. It was slow and exaggerated and it caused both Mick and Roman to laugh.

"Here's my card. If you come up with anything, don't hesitate to give me a call." There was still laughter in his voice but the look in Reigns' eyes made Dean study the ground once more. He knew that Roman wanted to talk about the bathroom incident and at this point, figured he owed him that much for saving his ass.

Ambrose snatched the card and stuffed it into his pocket but didn't say anything.

Noelle watched all this with a practiced pout on her face. The fact that Mr. Reigns, Mr. Lincoln County High Lion himself was all but ignoring her didn't sit well at all. And he just talked her dad into buying the freak a cell phone! Still trying to look hurt, Noelle huffed and opened the passenger door before dropping into the seat dramatically. Nobody paid her any attention.

"I better head out," said Roman. He searched the parking lot for his car and spotted it near the side entrance. "And Dean, I look forward to your call." He gave a nod of acknowledgement to Mick and Noelle. "It was nice seeing you two again." With that, he walked away.

The drive to the T-mobile store wasn't completely silent as Mick couldn't stop gushing about meeting Roman and how he seemed interested in the artwork Dean was going to do for the rehab center. Mick didn't say it out loud but he hoped that Reigns would mentor Dean and that maybe it would help him stay out of trouble and force him out of his shell a bit more.

Noelle was silently seething though and realized that it might be harder to get rid of the freak than she originally thought.

Dean on the other hand, was contemplative. Not only had Man-bun made sure he wouldn't get in trouble for destroying the bathroom at school, he'd gotten his foster dad to buy him a cellphone too! The first thing he thought of was the potential look on Renee's face when he asked for her number tomorrow. That thought made him grin. But that the first number in his phone was going to be Roman Reigns, the man who made it all possible, his grin widened. He'd never had an adult want to be his friend before. And having a friend as powerful and popular as Roman could only be a good thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally it seems Roman got Dean to himself for a short while. He's already obsessed but do you think Dean will figure out what Roman's truly after? Is Mick being a good foster dad in getting Dean a cellphone or is he inviting something sinister in their lives?
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos, bookmarks and reviews!


	7. The Call

 

Chapter 7 – The Call

Dean sat on his bed staring down at his unfinished homework. He found that he couldn't concentrate on it because his eyes kept flicking to the new iPhone charging on the corner of the desk. It was last season's model but it was brand new, not refurbished. Dean thought about the conversation that he and Mick had had when they got to the house about  _personal responsibility_  and how there would be random history searches done on his phone. The teen had cringed at the time and cringed now just thinking about it.

Mick had ended the conversation with, "Don't forget to call Mr. Reigns, son. He's a good man and I think he's genuinely interested in helping you out. And make sure you thank him." Mick had laughed then, a sort of jolly chuckle before adding, "Collette and I would have gotten you a phone anyway but Mr. Reigns did speed things along for you."

Again Dean glanced at the phone and then to the alarm clock near his bed. It was after nine. Sighing resignedly, he fished Roman's card out of his pocket and dialed the number.

"Hnnngh!"

Roman grunted loudly as he struggled to the get the barbell racked once more. His cousin Jey was standing over him, spotting him in case the weight got to be too much.

"You got this, man!" Jey reached down and grabbed Roman's hand to help him into a sitting position on the bench.

"Yeah, I'm really hoping to increase my bench soon," Roman laughed breathlessly before snatching up his water bottle from the floor and taking a swig.

"I think you better," said Jey pointing to Roman's pecs with an eyebrow raised. "Looks like you've been eating too much of the good stuff." He chuckled and ducked when Roman tried to smack him.

"First of all, I'm a chef." Roman glanced down at his bare chest, knowing it was perfectly sculpted but feeling suddenly self-conscious. "Second of all, speak for yourself! You and Jimmy would close down the restaurant if I let you. Eating up all my shit." The last was said with an air of annoyance but he punched Jey in the stomach lightly to let him know he wasn't serious.

"Hey! I heard that!" shouted Jimmy from a treadmill across the room. "Don't put me in yall's shit!" Jimmy frowned and balled up a towel to chuck at his twin and cousin, not caring which of them it hit.

Jey was the unfortunate party and shook his head. "I don't have to take this abuse!"

Roman was about to sling some more mud good naturedly at his cousin when his cell phone rang. He fished the phone out of his pocket and saw that it was a number he didn't recognize. Deciding that it might be a business contact or some other acquaintance he pressed the green answer button.

"This is Roman Reigns."

"Uhh… Hey? It's me. Umm, Dean, I mean."

Roman's eyebrows shot up and he couldn't stop the huge grin that split his lips. He got to his feet quickly and began heading towards the stairwell, ignoring the literally identical quizzical looks he was receiving from his cousins.

"Well… good evening, Dean. What number are you calling from?"

Dean sighed heavily into the phone as if annoyed or bored. Roman felt something low in his gut tighten at the sound.

"It's mine. I'm supposed to thank you for… I dunno; I guess forcing Mick to get me a phone."

Roman chuckled into the receiver, amused. Pleased. "You're welcome, Dean." He paused for a moment, perhaps gathering up courage to broach the subject. Finally, he said, "About what happened during the pep rally today…"

Dean went stiff. He had known that this was coming but he still wasn't prepared. He glanced up and saw that his bedroom door was still open. And across the hall, Noelle's door was closed. Still, he didn't want to take the chance of being overheard so he got up off the bed and shut the door.

Roman heard the teen fumbling with the phone and for a moment and thought that Ambrose was about to hang up on him. Then finally Dean began to speak.

"Sorry. I got up to close the door." Dean sat on the bed and scooted back until he was leaning against the wall. He sighed once more. "So… Noelle's a bitch."

Roman started to chastise the teen but decided against it. The last thing he wanted was for Dean to see him as a father figure. He'd leave that to Mick Foley. Instead he waited, positive the boy would say more.

Dean could hear Roman's soft breathing over the phone and knew that the older man was still listening.

"She says she's going to make her folks kick me out. She thinks that I'm trash and that I don't belong." Dean felt his throat getting tight and coughed trying to clear it. "But I like it here! Mick and Collette have been nothing but nice to me despite the shit I've done. I mean, I know I'm fucking garbage but…"

Roman felt his hear twist at those words and hurriedly interrupted the teen. "No Dean. You're not trash."

"But I  _am_!" Dean insisted, his voice cracking. "My dad skipped out before I was born, my mom's a fucking junkie who can't be bothered to take care of me. And every foster family I've ever had tossed me out as soon as the first fucking check cleared. I'm nobody. I'm nothing. Noelle's right…" As he said that last, Dean sniffled and hated himself for it. He liked to pretend that the verbal abuse didn't bother him. But it did. He liked to think that he was stronger than that, but instead he felt weak and worthless and that only fueled the self-loathing.

"Listen to me, Dean Ambrose," commanded Roman. He put all the bass and authority he possibly could into his next words, desperately hoping the teen would hear and believe them.

"You are NOT trash! Do you hear me? You're not garbage and you're not nothing. And I better not hear shit like that from you ever again. Life has dealt you a shitty hand, clearly. But that doesn't make you garbage. You're a survivor. Life threw everything thing it had at you and you're still here. And we're all here for a reason."

Now it was Dean's turn to be silent. He swiped a hand over his face, scrubbing away the few tears that fell and contemplated what Reigns had just said. He didn't feel like a survivor. But he couldn't deny what the older man had said either. He'd gone through a lot of shit to end up where he was.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course, I'm always goddamn right."

The surety of that curse made Dean laugh a little and he found that he felt somewhat better.

Roman smiled at the sound, glad that he'd been able to provide the teen with some levity. "As a matter of fact,…" Roman paused, feeling out the idea in his mind as he spoke. "Why don't you and the Foleys come to my restaurant on Friday? It'll give you all a chance to bond and more importantly, it'll give me a chance to show off my famous cooking skills."

Dean raised an eyebrow then chuckled. He could almost picture the smug look on Roman's face as he said that last. Still… he was picturing Noelle's face when she insulted him, and the laughter died off immediately. He shook his head, then realizing that Roman couldn't see him, said aloud, "I don't think it's a good idea…"

"It's a great fucking idea, now go ask Mick. I guarantee he won't say 'no'."

Sighing deeply, Dean rose from the bed and walked out into the hallway and down the steps. Collette and Mick were in the living room watching some mystery crime drama on the television and making comments to each other about it. When they saw Dean coming though, they smiled and hit pause on the DVR.

"What's up, Dean? Do you need something?" Mick could see the teen looked a little tense and was concerned.

"Ummm, well Ro… er Mr. Reigns just invited us to his restaurant on Friday but I told him that you might be busy…"

"He what?!" exclaimed Collette. She clapped her hands and jumped up from the couch. "Of course we're going!"

Mick beamed and noticed the cell phone in Dean's hand. "Is that him on the phone?" And when Dean nodded, he added; "Let me speak to him."

Dean handed the phone to Mick and watched the one-sided conversation that ensued.

Mick finished with, "Okay, sounds good! We'll be there at 7! Goodbye, Mr. Reigns!"

Collette reached over to pull Dean gently to her for a brief but affectionate side hug. "He must really be impressed with you! That man's restaurant has reservations going out to 6 weeks in advance!" She smiled at the teen's embarrassment before sitting back down.

"Honey!" shushed Mick with an apologetic look towards Dean as he handed him the cellphone back. "Mr. Reigns is still on the phone!"

The woman clapped both hands over her mouth before whispering, "Sorry!" to Dean. She and Mick both laughed then before hitting play on the DVR remote as Ambrose made his way back upstairs.

"She's right you know," said Roman, laughter in his voice. "My restaurant stays booked. Guess I  _do_  like you."

At that the teen rolled his eyes and sighed. "Are you trying to mentor me or something?"

"Or something," replied Roman simply. "I want to be your friend, Dean."

Dean was taken aback, and it showed in the silence that followed. He reached his room, shut the door and got back into bed with his back against the wall. He stared at the wall across from him, feeling oddly uncomfortable. So far Roman appeared to be mad cool. So why did the thought of being genuine friends with him fill him with a vague sense of uneasiness? Dean's free right hand went up to rest on his chest as his fingers drummed on his collarbone.

Why this sudden anxiety?

Roman raised an eyebrow as the silence between them stretched on for several moments. Eventually he said, "Does that scare you, Dean? Being my friend?"

Dean frowned, his disquiet at the man's proclamation turning into something he was more equipped to handle, anger. "Oh shut the fuck up, man-bun! I didn't say I was scared!"

Roman barked a laugh into the phone's receiver and shook his head. "You're lucky you're my friend or I'd have to start getting angry at you calling me out of my name like that."

It was Dean's turn to laugh then and he felt that early foreboding melting away as if it had never been. "Why do you always gotta make me laugh when I want to be mad at you?"

Roman smirked and he knew without looking in the mirror that it was predatory. Not answering the teen's question, he just said, "I'll see you Friday. Goodnight, Dean Ambrose."

Roman hit end on the cell and stared at the blank screen of his phone for a few seconds. It was getting late and Dean was likely going to bed soon. He began to imagine the teen doing just that and it brought a small grin to his face, one that was noticed by his cousins as they stepped into the front room where he was sitting.

"Oh shit, Jey. I know that fucking look." Jimmy was shaking his head, a look cross between amusement and worry.

Jey's mind was on the same track and he nodded. "Yep, haven't seen it in a long goddamned time but I know that fucking look."

Simultaneously they fired questions at Roman.

"What's his name?" asked Jimmy.

"Is he legal?" asked Jey.

Roman sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically. "I don't think I should tell you."

"Fuck…" murmured Jey. He sat down heavily next to Roman on the couch before smacking his cousin upside his head.

"Ouch! Dammit!" Roman turned to scowl at the man then the look on his face turned petulant. "I can't help it guys. This… this kid is everything. He's everything to me."

Jimmy sighed and sat on the other side of Roman. "Just don't get caught, Uce. That's all I'm gonna say. Because if Naomi finds out… She's my wife. I'm gonna take her side on the issue. Period."

Jey swallowed audibly. "Me too, man. I know my wife ain't gonna be down with us trying to protect your pedo ass. I love you like a brother, Uce but you gotta know where we stand on this."

Roman flinched at being called a 'pedo' but didn't try to defend himself despite the term being technically incorrect. Before he had accepted that side of himself he'd been forced to google his… condition.

Ephebophile.

Jimmy and Jey did what they could to help steer his interests elsewhere (to women of age) and while it was great for his image as a philandering playboy… those models, those beautiful women could not satisfy him. And after a while he stopped trying; breaking up with them before sex was ever brought up. It made him look like a good guy. Like he was looking for "The One". But in reality, he was hiding in plain sight, slaking his lust in other more questionable ways.

Then he spotted Dean Ambrose and could think of and dream of nothing else. The teen consumed his every thought and at night plagued his dreams. Twice he'd woken up gasping, with sticky wet cum spreading and darkening the front of his boxers. Who still had wet dreams in their 30's?! Dean was doing this to him and Roman's obsession with him continued to grow.

Roman sighed deeply and dropped his head down, his chin touching his chest. "I love you too. And I know that if this were to come out about me…" He cleared his throat and glanced at his cousins before shrugging helplessly. "I just… It's different this time.  _He's_  different."

Roman fell silent. Dean  _was_  different. So beautiful and so very lost with a certain hardness that made him seem older than his years. It made Roman want to  _handle_  him, to break him. Not completely, of course. But just enough that the teen would not be able to live without him. Because Roman was thinking of their future and they were going to be together forever.

He'd make sure of it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dinner at Roman's restaurant is sure to be interesting... What could Roman possibly have up his sleeve?


End file.
